What do the Scorecard results show?

Our key findings:

Unfortunately the early progress we saw from companies between our first Scorecard in 2009 and our second in 2011 seems to have slowed down slightly.

This may be because the early adopters have been the most enthusiastic companies who have put in the most work on sustainable palm oil and achieved real progress, while not enough other companies are making the same level of effort.

Disappointingly, there are still too many companies that only seem to be “dipping their toes” into sustainable palm oil.

Even in 2011 there was absolutely no reason why all the companies we scored - and many more besides - could not be at 100% CSPO.

Since then supply has almost doubled, but still overall less half the palm oil the companies we looked at were using was certified. These 130 companies represent almost 7 million tonnes of palm oil use a year - a volume that could easily be met by the CSPO currently available.

They really have to use that power to help the industry transform itself.

In terms of individual company performance, as in 2011 there is a mix of good and bad performers.

Many companies that showed early promise in 2009 and 2011 have delivered, but many more still have a long way to go.

2015 is just round the corner and there is no certainty that all the companies that have committed to using 100% CSPO by then will be able to do so.

Companies are still relying on Book and Claim to fulfil targets for the use of CSPO.

The Book and Claim system allows companies to easily buy CSPO using certificates, but it doesn't guarantee that all their palm oil comes from sustainable sources.

Book and Claim is an essential starting point for companies, but it should only be considered a step on the journey toward physical supply chains that guarantee 100% CSPO.

Particularly in markets like Europe, where supply is increasing in both volume and variety, there is a real need for companies to continue pushing the supply chain of traders, refiners and processors to also transform themselves.

Interest, and more importantly action, on palm oil is starting up in Asia.

Although at a low level and among only a few companies, this is a very welcome development, and shows the potential for Asia to transform the global industry.

There are signs that users of palm oil are starting to take the industry's climate change impacts as seriously as many of the growers.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has been forward-looking when it comes to tackling greenhouse gas emissions - and some growers have shown real innovation in reducing their emissions. Now is the time for the buyers of palm oil to support those innovators and use the tools made available by the RSPO to do so.

Some 20 companies did not respond at all to our request for information on their actions against palm oil.

They include major retailers and brands such as Aldi (Nord), Burger King and Doctor’s Associates (Subway).

Non-responders who are also RSPO members have failed to keep to the RSPO’s basic rules. These include Compass, Findus Group/Young’s, Ginsters and Avon.